Posted below are highlights of the press conference.
* The Commish said a "group of underage criminals opened fire on each other" in the parking lot behind the Trademart. He said "The crime wave that has plagued Jackson, Mississippi has crashed upon the Fairgrounds' gates Saturday night. This is completely unacceptable."
* Law enforcement officers were on the scene the moment the shootout occurred. They ended the "threat within two minutes after it began. Thanking them profusely, the Commissioner said "Today, these officers are heroes." Several sources said the officers were at first forced to take cover due to the rapid fire of the high-capacity firearms used by the shooters.
* Commissioner Gipson opened up the Good Book and poured out some scripture from Nehemiah, Chapter 4. (Text of passage) His deep voice thundered righteousness across the atrium as he recounted Nehemiah's fight to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. He noted some became angry at Nehemiah's efforts as they resisted his efforts to protect the city. The Commissioner promised "We will do what it takes to defend these Fairgrounds, we will do what it takes to defend our city." (3:50) The Bible did not disappear completely as he periodically help it up as he sermonized to the press.
* "We won't abandon the state fairgrounds nor Jackson," vowed Commissioner Gipson. He said "when you are at war, you don't retreat. He said he refuses to consider moving anything out of Jackson. He said such flight would surrender the city to the criminal element and leave it much worse than it was before. He promised to "take the fight to the enemy." "Events are not going to stop at the Fairgrounds because of this incident," he said.
* Future security plans were not discussed as the Commish said "You don't give your battle plans to the enemy." He said there was security at every entrance and in the parking lot.
* Commissioner Gipson moved on to Jackson's crime wave, blaming an "overwhelming backlog" that swamped the Hinds County criminal justice system. Parents were not left out of his discussion on Jackson crime: "Parents have the primary responsibility to teach our children right and wrong," said the Commissioner. He continued: It does no good to arrest people and put them back out on the street." He concluded before taking questions from the media "law and order will return when we bring swift justice for crime."
* Yours truly asked how many officers were on duty when the shooting took place. Commissioner Gipson refused to answer the question (27:00). The Kingfish pressed further: "Why not?" The Commissioner said he did not want to "give our battle plans to the enemy." He finally said "something more than two dozen were on duty" when the shootout took place.
No one wants to publish future security plans as that could be used by the criminal element. However, there was a shootout at large festival Saturday night on state property. Police were forced to kill one person. The public has every right to know how many officers were working the event. When such crime happens, the government should answer to the public. The operating concept is accountability. There may have been a sufficient number of officers present, there may not have been a sufficient number as well. However, the public can not hold leadership accountable if such information is withheld. Few believe politicians who say "trust us" in 2022.
* WLBT's CJ Lemasters asked if the Capitol Police was part of the security plan for the festival. He claimed sources told him the Capitol Police did not show up until after the shootout was over. The Commissioner said "I can't answer that except to say we have certified law enforcement officers who were not Capitol Police that were part of the security plan who responded directly." (29:00)
It was not disclosed during the press conference but LEO's from at least three, possibly four, different agencies were on duty at the Fairgrounds when the shootout occurred.
* The Kingfish asked (31:11) if the free admission policy ($10 parking fee) made it easier for the shootout to take place. The Commissioner disagreed with the question. . He said "We have lots of events with free admission and parking. I just don't. The reality is there were kids in a car that illegally had weapons."
The shootout might not have been the only incident of violence at the festival Saturday night. Several sources said two fights broke out on the midway that night before the gunfight.
44 comments:
"illegally had weapons."
Thank you irresponsible gun owners for leaving your guns in your cars so the guns are easily able to get in the hands of these thugs who use them to terrorize our community.
This beef would have been played out somewhere at some point. You think these terds don't have money KF ? They likely have bankrolls some of us can only dream about.
Next-
If he can make the fairgrounds safe for all in the future, was there a reason he declined to do that in the past?
"We won't abandon the state fairgrounds nor Jackson," vowed Commissioner Gipson. He said "when you are at war, you don't retreat. He said he refuses to consider moving anything out of Jackson. He said such flight would surrender the city to the criminal element and leave it much worse than it was before. He promised to "take the fight to the enemy." "Events are not going to stop at the Fairgrounds because of this incident.”
I don’t always agree with him, but I do 100 percent on this. Moving more stuff out will do nothing to fix the problem. Thanks, Commish.
“ * Commissioner Gipson opened up the Good Book and poured out some scripture from Nehemiah, Chapter 4.”
oookkkkk. Gonna need to bring more to the table than the Bible
Any Louis L'Amour fan would be familiar with the oft=repeated scenario where the Good Guy, referring to the Bad Guy, tells whoever is listening that "I need to read to him from the Book." I'm guessing that Gipson is happy to be thinking back to the 1870s era when there was no organized law enforcement "west of the Pecos" and men were men, etc., and men of honor were required to enforce a moral code based in the Old Testament.
Warning: When someone in power starts quoting the Old Testament when he could be quoting the New, there will be "complications." Cross your fingers.
Personally, I dislike Gipson and consider him a self-righteous pharisee. Even so, if some bad guys get taught a severe lesson, so be it. They made the play.
The Ag Commish is a religious lunatic masquerading as a tough on crime cowboy.
Never would I have ever thought of Louis L'Amour's name being mentioned in a Jackson
thug shoot-out conversation, or a city councilman holding a press conference about tadpoles and garbage trucks at an airport ... followed by an Agriculture Commissioner reading from the book of Nehemiah.
The last time I checked Jim Fowler and Marlon Perkins were dead. I would feel safer in a rattlesnake pit than anywhere near Jackson, MS. It's time to move on and get over it.
Was this a political speech or a sermon? How do we know if he's speaking as Ag Commissioner without the hat? He needs the hat.
What we need here is a Battle of the Hats. Kenny Stokes Trucker Hat vs. Andy Gipson Marshal Dillon Hat.
Ok
No hat all rattle?
Wyatt Earp Gibson's rangers will all be equipped with single action army pistols chambered in 45 long colt. He's also planning to have Winchester lever actions and coach guns. Stetson hats and boots from Boots and More across the street. Cowboy ethics and redneck justice at the fair grounds. PTL.
Reminds me of Obama dragging his toe and saying..."OK, step across this line just one more time!"
Renovate Old Sparky, the portable electric chair, and fry some perps there at the Colosseum. Free admission. Do it twice a week until the murder rate in Jackson drops below Mexican cartel cities.
Or, if you have the cojones, use some of those cowboy ropes and string up perps over a tree branch, black or white or Latino. After a fair trial.
Oh, wait. Hinds juries let them go and pat them on the head. Never mind.
What an ass. Gipson, You are the Commissioner of Agriculture. Tell us how many officers were on duty, then go tend some cattle or something.
This is a naked play for higher office.
All of you people who are disrespecting Andy Gipson need to accept that the highest echelons of power in Mississippi share similar beliefs including Mike Watson. And both of them are in line for the highest office in the state.
2:05 PM They have the same right to open carry as anyone else. Commissioner Gipson is a strong supporter of open carry.
Agree with Commissioner Gipson 100%.
I wish more leaders would read from the Bible in public. Maybe God will take us back as his children vs allowing all the insanity that is happening.
5:48: So we should just shut up and get in line when our elected leaders are so obviously full of crap, trying to establish a sham theocracy while stealing from the poor (and everybody else too)?
Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father, not to provide the ambitious with a path to political power.
Blah, blah, blah. Barney Fife in a cowboy hat to the rescue.
Big talking…protecting a massive parking lot and circus venue. Hell, I could protect the woods behind Walmart in Madison. Doesn’t make me a tough guy. And doesn’t fix the problem. Big hat, no cattle.
Only things left to move from the fairgrounds are the events at the Trademart. All of the large livestock shows left the fairgrounds years ago. All of the concerts go to the Brandon Amphitheater with the exception of rap shows. The problem is people don’t feel safe coming to Jackson. I guess the commish could hire enough officers to deter some crime, but at what point does the cost of putting on an event make it not profitable.
The crime problem in Jackson is decades in the making. While Hinds Counties entire law enforcement and judicial system shares in the blame, the problem is also cultural and economic. I see politicians saying the same old lines and promises of adding judges and prosecutors which has been done numerous times before, with NO results.
Rather than trying to fix the problems with the same solutions that didn’t work before, why not have our so called leadership address the root causes, fatherless homes, children having children, a broken public education system, etc. Until the culture is changed, all of the tough talk is just that, talk.
Its easier to speak the same old political canned blather than actually say the things that won’t get you elected.
at 00;51,,,he says ''the crime wave that has been in jackson'.............got news for you buddy , there been a nonstop crime wave in Jackson for the past 40 years.........
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;51
I have no problem at all with him quoting scripture. We need more of that.
How did the 2 rifles and one pistol fire more than 100 rounds in just 2 minutes?
Andy must have meant 10 - 12 minutes before police arrived.
"Agree with Commissioner Gipson 100%."
You're the buffoons who keep voting these idiots back into office.
Gibson fancies himself being in "higher" office, nothing more...and using the Gospel in hand to do that is blaspheme.
Sell it. Sell it all. Dump it and walk away. Our state government needs to get out of the entertainment business.
Might have been more shooters. The listen to that video. Everyone had mags of at least 30 rounds. LEO sources said the police had to take cover first before they could go into action. Perfectly understandable.
@3:25
Jesus put Commissioner Gipson in his position for a reason. Who are you to question the will of God?
All you little girls need to stay in Madison, where there isn't shit to do but wife swap and let the real men run the fairgrounds.
7:12 : Might have been ? Lol, 2 arrested one passed and a least seven out there chillin.
@715am- I thought Gov. Feel appointed All Hat and now you’re trying to tell us Feel is Jesus. Maybe you should go handle some snakes and drink some Kool-Aid. You were kidding —right??
holltywood should come and make one of those white savior movies about this guy gibson with the cowboy hat.
you know kinda like kevin costner in dances with wolves, mathew broderick in glory, and peter o 'toole in lawrence of arabia.
hey, hes a white man who gonna solve the problems of a non-white race.
7:44pm says "Rather than trying to fix the problems with the same solutions that didn’t work before, why not have our so called leadership address the root causes, fatherless homes, children having children, a broken public education system, etc."
Because neither political nor social leadership has any clue how to systematically fix the problems you listed. And I will include myself in that list of people who do not know how to put this toothpaste back into the tube.
If you were in charge, what would you do?
7:15, Andy Gipson is not God, though he may not fully understand that. He isn't even the Pope.
He’s aspiring to be Sheriff Matt Dillon
My heroes have always been cowboys.
Start locking up the custodial parents.
All this hatred and derision directed at all things agricultural are quite interesting.
Grandma of the now-deceased shooter has stated that "the system failed him." I guess that means that 15 years of free shit failed him?
Wow, no mention of dad, mom, who knew?
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